Damned if you don't, Damned if you do

NE, Ohio

May 21, 2017 @ 13:59:36

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39988992
Author Anthony Horowitz says he was "warned off" including a black character in his new book because it was "inappropriate" for a white writer.
The creator of the Alex Rider teenage spy novels says an editor told him it could be considered "patronising".
Horowitz wanted a white and black protagonist in his new children's books but says he is now reconsidering.

So you're ignoring or minimizing if you don't include diversity, and you're patronizing if you do.

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psycoskunk

Funky-Footed Skunk

A fort made of stinky socks, C

#2

May 21, 2017 @ 19:09:25

@mrmhead Said

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39988992
Author Anthony Horowitz says he was "warned off" including a black character in his new book because it was "inappropriate" for a white writer.
The creator of the Alex Rider teenage spy novels says an editor told him it could be considered "patronising".
Horowitz wanted a white and black protagonist in his new children's books but says he is now reconsidering.

So you're ignoring or minimizing if you don't include diversity, and you're patronizing if you do.

That's the world we live in. People just seem to like to b**** either way.

Books, TV shows, games, comics, doesn't matter. If you're a white author, you can only write about what you know but how dare you for not including people of other ethnicities?!

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nooneinparticular

, Hawaii

#3

May 23, 2017 @ 04:09:12

@mrmhead Said

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39988992
Author Anthony Horowitz says he was "warned off" including a black character in his new book because it was "inappropriate" for a white writer.
The creator of the Alex Rider teenage spy novels says an editor told him it could be considered "patronising".
Horowitz wanted a white and black protagonist in his new children's books but says he is now reconsidering.

So you're ignoring or minimizing if you don't include diversity, and you're patronizing if you do.

Ah, the science of market manipulation. Isn't it grand? By attempting to throw as wide a net as possible by removing things that could potentially be seen as patronizing, they just end up with something uninteresting. True, including black people in a novel could be taken as patronizing. True, making a thing more accessible to different people is a good thing in theory. No matter how you attempt to frame a story and it's characters, it's up to the reader to determine whether those characters were real or tokens, and everyone has a different viewpoint to look from. Attempting to please everyone will only end up with everyone disappointed.

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twilitezone911

Saint Louis, Missouri

#4

May 23, 2017 @ 04:35:23

if you are basely on Idris Elba's characters especially his roles on " the wire ". he plays street drug lord, and other similar roles that he call idris " too street ". lurther is a street smart detective that somewhat bend the rules to get serial killers. it is more compliment to idris than insult to him.

it doesn't seem that prejudice, just mean he is probably mean " street smart ", so what. idris accept his apology with being charming about it. where there is prejudice? the author gave idris a high compliment, that he is a great actor to that to be too good to be james bonds.

many way, idris could be the best james bonds than ever, actually, idris would been a better " shaft ' in 70's that richard rountree.

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Eaglebauer

Moderator
Deleted

Saint Louis, Missouri

#5

May 23, 2017 @ 11:59:39

I understand the argument that tokenizing a person of a particular group can be harmful, but holy s***, really? Inappropriate for a white writer to have a black character in his book?

Thank God Faulkner isn't around anymore I guess...

What about Kathryn Stockett?

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mrmhead

NE, Ohio

#6

May 23, 2017 @ 12:11:50

Some scenes just don't work without a particular ethnicity ...

Like that movie when the zombies finally catch and eat the Asian guy, the survivors say "Hurry! Let's get out of here - they're going to be hungry again in an hour!"

----
Looking forward to Idris in The Dark Tower! ... Looking forward to The Dark Tower!

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twilitezone911

Saint Louis, Missouri

#7

May 23, 2017 @ 13:51:32

i have read that the author doesn't tell the reader, who the main character in the whole book.

no description, who the main character, it a he or a she, or what color he or she has.

if the author really good, it really good doesn't matter.

when you find that author main character is white, he or she is black. something, it make a difference in the story, the author tell you. it help understand the book better.

some readers might like that approach, but it seem to cheat the reader's view on the author as well as the character.

the interesting part of the author in this article, that because he is jewish, he write the next james bonds to be played by a jewish actor.

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psycoskunk

Funky-Footed Skunk

A fort made of stinky socks, C

#8

May 23, 2017 @ 17:38:20

I've always kind of disliked the idea of certain actors/characters in books/movie/TV having their ethnicities changed in different iterations of the series in question for no other real apparent reason other than to generate buzz.

Like when they cast Keith Stanfield to play L in the upcoming Death Note movie on Netflix. I have nothing against Keith Stanfield, but L isn't supposed to be a skinny, albeit slightly toned black guy who carries himself well. L is a pale, lanky, sickly-looking man with a hunched gait and a reclusive personality. He has permanent bags under his eyes due to the thousands of hours of time he's spent solving 'unsolvable' cases. He sits awkwardly with his legs tucked up against himself while he hugs his knees. When you look at Keith Stanfield you think "Wait, isn't that the guy who portrayed Snoop Dogg in Straight Outta Compton?" When you look at L, you're supposed to think "Oh jeez, that guy looks pretty rough. I hope he doesn't die from malnourishment right in front of me.

"

1

Edited: May 23, 2017 @ 17:39

mrmhead

NE, Ohio

#9

May 23, 2017 @ 18:51:21

@psycoskunk Said

I've always kind of disliked the idea of certain actors/characters in books/movie/TV having their ethnicities changed in different iterations of the series in question for no other real apparent reason other than to generate buzz.

Like when they cast Keith Stanfield to play L in the upcoming Death Note movie on Netflix. I have nothing against Keith Stanfield, but L isn't supposed to be a skinny, albeit slightly toned black guy who carries himself well. L is a pale, lanky, sickly-looking man with a hunched gait and a reclusive personality. He has permanent bags under his eyes due to the thousands of hours of time he's spent solving 'unsolvable' cases. He sits awkwardly with his legs tucked up against himself while he hugs his knees. When you look at Keith Stanfield you think "Wait, isn't that the guy who portrayed Snoop Dogg in Straight Outta Compton?" When you look at L, you're supposed to think "Oh jeez, that guy looks pretty rough. I hope he doesn't die from malnourishment right in front of me.

"

So you don't think Jim Parsons should play the lead in the next Thor movie?

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psycoskunk

Funky-Footed Skunk

A fort made of stinky socks, C

#10

May 25, 2017 @ 04:52:41

@mrmhead Said

So you don't think Jim Parsons should play the lead in the next Thor movie?

That'd be a funny parody movie actually.

But no, unless he bulked-up at least 180 pounds and got completely shredded. And even then...

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